Job Purpose
The Communications and Advocacy Lead is responsible for the overall management of Calais Appeal’s online platforms (Twitter, Instagram, website and email accounts) as well as for developing and implementing our current communications and advocacy strategy.
About Calais Appeal
From January 1st 2022, the largest funder of humanitarian aid in Calais withdrew an annual investment equivalent to 600,000 Euros from refugee projects in Calais. After over 6 years of their support, seven different grassroots organisations now face significant funding challenges following the withdrawal. The organisations affected became members of the Calais Appeal – Calais Food Collective, L’Auberge des Migrants (WoodYard and Human Rights Observers), Collective Aid, Refugee Women’s Centre, Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK), Refugee Info Bus, Project Play and Utopia 56.
The Calais Appeal was initially launched as an independent, mostly volunteer-run collective in January 2022 to inform the wider public about the situation on the UK-French border, the mistreatment of displaced communities and our efforts to support people on the move. Today the Calais Appeal has evolved into a fundraising platform and has two main goals: fundraising for all member organisations and streamlining our collective communications and advocacy into a single voice. Through our campaign work we aim to increase awareness on the situation over 1,500 displaced people face in Calais as well as connect with potential donors through diligent communication and online presence.
Members of Calais Appeal are individual charitable organisations. Each provides access to different aid and services on the ground including food, water, information, warm clothing, tents, psychosocial support for women and families, firewood, phone charging, electricity and more.
Responsibilities
- Planning and producing social media posts under a regular deadline (x3 a week) in line with Calais Appeal’s principles and tone
- Coordinating social media contributors from Calais Appeal member organisations
- Website management
- Email management
- Assisting in defining, developing and implementing an advocacy strategy through engagement with a broad range of relevant stakeholders (followers, donors, advocacy groups, journalist…)
- Drafting and disseminating newsletters on a termly basis
- Assisting in the production of videos and visual content for our communications and/or fundraising activities
- Attending weekly meetings with the Calais Appeal Communications and Advocacy working group
Essential skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate working groups, meet deadlines and prioritise effectively
- Communications, advocacy and/or fundraising experience
- Social media
- Extensive knowledge of the political situation regarding “illegal” migration and asylum policy in the EU and UK and the humanitarian context in Northern France.
- Experience working in humanitarian aid, grassroots and/or with displaced communities
- Proven copywriting skills
- Intercultural sensitivity and a love for collaborative and collective work
- Basic graphics knowledge (Canva, powerpoint, photoshop, gimp)
Desirable skills
- French knowledge is a big asset
- Website Design (Wix editor, Google domains…)
- Video-making and editing knowledge desired
Reporting to
Calais Appeal Consortium
Time Commitment
6 months minimum
Starting date
January 2023
Location
Based in Calais or regular visits if remote
Coordinating
Volunteer working groups
Flat rate expenses
TBD
This is a full-time position.
How to apply
Calais Appeal encourages and welcomes applications from applicants with diverse backgrounds including lived experience as a displaced person. Calais Appeal welcomes all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability or nationality.
To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter to calaisappeal@gmail.com by 22nd December 2022.